England face several difficult decisions regarding their batting line-up for their defence of the Ashes in Australia next year.
The Three Lions were denied top spot in the ICC rankings by Pakistan as Misbah-ul-Haq’s men produced a fine display in the fourth Test to secure a 2-2 series draw.
As a result of their spirited displays on English soil, as well as India’s inability to whitewash the West Indies and Australia’s catastrophic failure in Sri Lanka, Pakistan now sit atop of the rankings.
The three sides will now aim to overhaul Misbah’s team, and will also face off against each other over the next calendar year in the battle to reach the summit of Test cricket.
Alastair Cook’s men will have their sights firmly set on the Ashes, despite their upcoming tour of India, as they aim to avenge their 5-0 defeat on their last visit Down Under.
England are backed at 3/1 in the latest cricket odds to secure a series win over the Baggy Greens to retain the urn, although Steve Smith and his team will aim to target the weaknesses exposed by Pakistan over the course of the summer.
Pakistan won the toss and chose to bowl under cloudy skies in Cardiff. GEOFF CADDICK/AFP/Getty Images
Alex Hales appeared to be on his way to locking down the position opposite Cook opening the batting, which has been a problem area since the retirement of Andrew Strauss in 2012.
The 27-year-old has excelled in the limited overs format, and had a solid series against Sri Lanka, narrowly missing out on his maiden Test century on three occasions.
However, he regressed against the quality of the Pakistan attack, notching only one score over 50 in his eight innings. Hales will be under immense pressure during England’s tour of India, and another string of failures could see the Three Lions left with another opener selection issue.
There are also problems in the middle order for Cook and coach Trevor Bayliss to deal with as James Vince’s career at Test level should be over at least for the foreseeable future.
At times the 25-year-old looked the part at the crease, but his propensity to waft outside his off stump resulted in identical dismissals during the series against Pakistan without recording one half-century.
Gary Ballance had his best performances in an England shirt against India, scoring two of his four Test match centuries against MS Dhoni’s team in 2014.
He had brief moments over the summer, but his struggles against Australia last year and overall consistency may end his career with the selectors looking ahead to the tour Down Under.
Ben Stokes’ return from injury should see him oust Vince from the order with Jonny Bairstow moving up to number five. However, the Three Lions face a major decision over who could feature between Joe Root and Bairstow.
Ian Bell has been touted with a comeback just months after being dropped following his poor tour of South Africa, although he would not be a long-term solution at the age of 34.
Scott Borthwick seems the logical choice following another solid season for Durham, and just in his mid-twenties could lock down the position for years to come, while also adding a bowling option with his leg spin.
It has been a revolving door for England at numerous positions in their batting order, but they will be hopeful that the talent available shines through enough to provide a semblance of a settled team before the Ashes begin next November.
Ian Bell has been touted with a comeback just months after being dropped following his poor tour of South Africa, although he would not be a long-term solution at the age of 34.
Scott Borthwick seems the logical choice following another solid season for Durham, and just in his mid-twenties could lock down the position for years to come, while also adding a bowling option with his leg spin.
It has been a revolving door for England at numerous positions in their batting order, but they will be hopeful that the talent available shines through enough to provide a semblance of a settled team before the Ashes begin next November.
